


walk up & say "hello hey how you been"

by xslytherclawx



Series: (all the things i wish i could say) [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gay Charlie Weasley, Jewish Character, Jewish Rolf Scamander, M/M, Past Relationship(s), Post-Canon, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-23
Updated: 2018-10-23
Packaged: 2019-08-06 14:40:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16389617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xslytherclawx/pseuds/xslytherclawx
Summary: Charlie was happy for Rolf, really. He deserved to be happy, and it was impossible to deny how happy Luna made him.Charlie just wished he had a date to Rolf's wedding, and that Bill would stop looking at him like that.





	walk up & say "hello hey how you been"

**Author's Note:**

> title from the two tongues song "U.S."  
> felix rosier is the best prefect in hogwarts mystery and he is a treasure.  
> this is a massive departure from my usual thing (awkward gay/bi teens sorting out their feelings) but i really liked writing it and definitely expect more charlie weasley fic from me (including, of course, stuff set at hogwarts feat. awkward gay/bi teens sorting out their feelings).  
> also rolf scamander is jewish and that's just facts. i'll probably actually write the wedding from his or luna's pov at some point, but it didn't fit to well in here, so have some references instead.

**2007.**

Charlie supposed the entire Weasley family being invited to Rolf and Luna’s wedding had done _something_ to make him seem less conspicuous – Ron and Ginny, as friends of Luna’s, doubtlessly would have been invited regardless – but he didn’t appreciate the attention too many guests paid to his lack of a date.

He was happy for Rolf, really. That chapter of their lives (well, those _chapters_ of their lives, because they’d had a habit of falling back together whenever they were in the same place) was in the past. The last time they’d slept together hadn’t even been that milenium (the joke wasn’t so clever when you figured in that it had been New Years’ Eve of 1999, with a New Years’ resolution to _stop doing that_ – one they’d both actually kept).

And they hadn’t _dated_ since Charlie had been at Hogwarts.

Besides, Luna complimented Rolf perfectly. Or, at least, that’s what Ron and Ginny said. Charlie hadn’t seen too much of the two of them together. He’d claimed to be busy with work, but truthfully – well, he was thirty-five. He’d expected to at least be in a serious relationship by his age, or something that would make it easier to watch the only man he’d ever loved happily marry someone else. (Not that he was still in love with Rolf, of course, but that didn’t make it easy).

He felt someone sling an arm around his shoulder and looked up to see his brother Bill. “Charlie, come with me for a moment.”

Bill had always thought that Charlie continuing to sleep with Rolf was stupid, but he’d been nothing but sympathetic once the wedding invitations had been sent out. (Charlie had tried to convince him, to no avail, that he was happy for Rolf).

Charlie went with him to a group that appeared to be composed entirely of people he’d gone to school with – and his sister-in-law, Fleur. He said hello to Penny Haywood and her wife (remembered that Penny and Rolf had been friends in school, but then Penny had been friends with just about _everyone)_ , shook hands awkwardly with Barnaby Lee and his husband, a Magizoologist Charlie knew by name (he was glad Barnaby had found someone, truthfully), and then found himself face-to-face with Felix Rosier.

Well, then.

He supposed – he’d known that Felix, as another Dragonologist, at least _knew_ Rolf and Luna. Rolf had never minded much what families people came from (as evidenced by the fact that he, a prominent and serious Magizoologist, was marrying _Xeno Lovegood’s_ daughter), and while Charlie knew as well as anyone else that Felix Rosier’s father and brother had been Death Eaters – he also knew that Felix wasn’t one.

If asked how he knew that, well, Charlie would just have to make something up.

“Felix,” he said. “It’s – good to see you.” He extended a hand – this was surely not the proper protocol for greeting someone you’d slept with once five years ago, but he wasn’t _quite_ sure what that proper protocol would be.

“It’s good to see you, too,” Felix said. “I haven’t seen you in… it must be five years, now.”

“Must be,” Charlie agreed.

Bill shot him a transparent look, and Charlie shrugged. If he wanted to start, Charlie was aware of plenty of Bill’s own bad decisions.

“How do you two know each other?” Barnaby asked. “Felix was my prefect, but – Charlie, you were a Gryffindor.”

“We’re both Dragonologists, aren’t we?” Felix said. “And we both know Rolf.”

Charlie wondered if Felix knew Rolf like _he_ knew Rolf, but he knew better than to ask. “Yes,” Charlie agreed. “Felix works primarily with the Peruvian Vipertooth, of course, but we did bring him in to consult at the sanctuary a few years back.”

“It was – enlightening,” Felix said.

“Well,” Charlie said, “we _did_ need the foremost expert.”

* * *

Rolf seemed delighted to find Charlie talking to Felix. “If it isn’t my two favourite Dragonologists,” he greeted.

“And my favourite Lovegood,” Charlie countered.

Rolf grinned. “She suggested we hyphenate, you know.”

“Oh, I’m sure,” Charlie said. “Ginny and Hermione will have been putting all sorts of mad feminist ideas in her head.”

“Surprised Ginny didn’t, actually. Hyphenate, I mean.”

Charlie shrugged. “She’s wanted to be Ginny Potter since she can remember.”

Felix snorted into his drink. “I’m sure that’s a healthy way to start a relationship.”

“Oh, it won’t last,” Charlie said. “Ginny’s a bit – well, Rolf, you know Percy. Only Mum’d have a conniption if three of her kids turned out to be gay. That’s potential grandkids she’s missing out on.”

“She doesn’t know about Bill, either?” Rolf asked. “Not that Bill’s _gay,_ of course, but – we all knew.”

“I’m not convinced my Mum even knows about me or Perce, so of course she doesn’t know about Bill.”

“She’s got grandkids from Ginny now, though,” Rolf said. “You know, she _could_ be – you know, like me, with a preference, but not absolute. I certainly never really thought I’d marry a witch.”

Charlie glanced over to where his sister sat talking to Luna. “I hope I’m wrong,” Charlie said. “It’d be a rotten position to be in if I’m not.”

“Who _did_ you think you’d marry?” Felix asked, sipping at his drink. “Surely Charlie was a contender for a while.”

Rolf blushed. “I – that’s in the past. But yes, I suppose, for a while, especially before I met Luna, but our lifestyles are – drastically incompatible, for two people in such similar fields.”

“Rolf needs to constantly be on the move, while I’m perfectly content to stay at the sanctuary year-round.”

“That sort of ambition and self-reflection isn’t quite what I expected from a Gryffindor and a Hufflepuff. Putting your careers over interpersonal relationships.”

Charlie frowned. “Didn’t that one Hufflepuff prefect in your year end up in Azkaban? Or did I dream that?”

Felix sipped at his drink before replying. “She did.”

Rolf shuddered. “Ugh, was that Jane Court? She always terrified me. I can deal with – any creature, really, but there was something about her.”

“She was like that with everyone,” Felix said. “I hope you didn’t take it personally. She wasn’t a very good prefect – no House loyalty, that one.”

“Meanwhile, you and my brother were teaching first-years how to duel,” Charlie said.

Felix shrugged. “At least I didn’t constantly undermine my own House.”

“I think Slytherin did that on its own, mate,” Rolf said. “Anyway, I shouldn’t stay too long – Skeeter is here and you all know – I don’t understand how my rabbi’s husband reporting on it would’ve been a conflict of interest, it’s not as if he would’ve written paragraphs about how his husband looked during the ceremony. Skeeter, on the other hand, will surely write something horrendous and offensive to anyone with any sense.”

“I don’t understand how Rita Skeeter is still employed after everything she’s pulled,” Charlie said. “But it’ll be fun to see how she tries to slate Jewish traditions as something eccentric or occult.”

Rolf pulled a face. “Don’t remind me. Don’t even know why we _need_ reporters, it’s not as if we’re celebrities.”

“You are,” Felix said. “Both of your parents are prominent Magizoologists from prominent families, not to mention your own accomplishments, and Luna Lovegood – everyone knows what she did during the war.”

“He’s right,” Charlie said. “And your one uncle’s still – well, there’s Skeeter hounding him, now.”

Rolf looked over and cursed. “Think if I slip your brother George a galleon he’ll cause a scene to distract her?”

“I think he’d do it for free,” Charlie said. “If not, Ron _definitely_ would do it for galleon. Just have to make sure Hermione’s not around.”

“Cheers,” Rolf said, and went off looking for George.

“You know,” Felix said, “if anyone had told me at school that the _Weasleys_ were intolerant…”

Charlie snorted and shot down his firewhisky. “Just my mum, really. She’s had ideas on what we should all be from the time we were born. She’ll get over it, eventually, but – I wouldn’t dare tell her until I had a steady relationship. None of us would. Well – not Bill or Perce or George or I. That was where Ron and Ginny fucked up, dating people Mum wanted them to.”

“My father would kill me,” Felix said. “Not for being gay – he’s gay. But for failing to marry a witch, especially after my brother never married, and never had any children.”

“Your brother?” Charlie asked. “Was he gay?”

“Bisexual, far as I could tell. But he was madly in love with Regulus Black from the time he was eleven years old – our father wasn’t happy about that, but then he was always – everyone knew he was having an affair with Alphard Black.”

Charlie didn’t know what to say to that, so he poured them both another shot of firewhisky and downed it.

“It’s a good thing there wasn’t a Black when I was at school – apparently they’re uniquely suited to ruin our lives.”

Charlie snorted and had another shot of firewhisky. “I’m part Black,” he said. “My gran – Cedrella, she was born a Black. She was disowned for marrying my granddad though.”

“I think I’ve drank too much,” Felix said, but he finished the firewhisky Charlie had poured. “The good news is that I haven’t got much family left to disappoint. Just – my cousin Narcissa, really, and her son.”

“Surely you’re not a disappointment,” Charlie said. “I mean, you’re _the_ foremost expert on the Peruvian Vipertooth, and you’re – what, thirty-nine?”

Felix blushed. “The Rosier line will die out with me, though, and that’s – a disappointment, no matter how you split it.”

“Not necessarily,” Charlie said. “You can have children.”

“I’m never having sex with a witch, and that’s a promise.”

“No, no,” Charlie said. “The rabbi – he’s a family friend of Rolf’s, and he’s got kids. With his husband. There’s – some magical thing, apparently. A closed ward at Saint Mungo’s, I think. I dunno the specifics. Honestly, I don’t think I want to know.”

“Do you have an idea how many pureblood wizards are gay or bisexual?”

Charlie shrugged. “Are we including blood traitors?”

“I hardly think that matters at this point. I _wouldn’t_ be the end of the line if my father and brother hadn’t signed up to – well, you know. I don’t even know that I want children. The whole affair seems – messy and loud.”

“Children are definitely messy and loud,” Charlie said. “I’ve enough nieces and nephews to vouch for that.”

“It’s a moot point,” Felix said. “The Rosier name’s been tainted. Perhaps – ten years ago, I might’ve found someone, but…”

Charlie shot down another firewhisky, and maybe that was why he said what he said next, “Felix.”

“Yes?”

“You know I was mad for you in school, don’t you?”

Felix blinked. “What?”

“Oh, Merlin, yeah,” Charlie said. He leaned in so they wouldn’t be overheard. “From first year, even, I think. Not that – don’t flatter yourself, you’re _not_ why I went into Dragonology, that was all I wanted to do from, well, since I can remember – but I definitely always sort of – fancied you in school. Even when you stuck up for that menace Merula Snyde.”

Felix didn’t respond immediately, and Charlie tried to explain himself. “I mean, it’s not as if I’ve – pined for you, or anything like that. I never held any sort of candle – fourth and fifth year, I was mad for Barnaby Lee – but he’s, well, he’s nice and all, but – I couldn’t really _talk_ to him, even about creatures. And then – seventh year, there was Rolf, and that – went on far longer than it should have, but you’ve seen the bloke, so it’s not as if – I was holding out, or anything like that. But I did fancy you. In school.”

“Oh,” Felix said. He eyed the bottle of firewhisky, which was nearly empty. “I think you’re drunk.”

“I am,” Charlie said, “Definitely, but it’s true. So it’s not as if – you can’t find anyone, I mean that was the _eighties_ and I’ve _always_ been a Weasley, and I was a Gryffindor, and you were a Rosier and a Slytherin, and I still fancied you.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

Charlie shrugged. “We shagged once. It was casual. Why would I have – mentioned that? And I was still – look, Rolf’s the only man I’ve ever _loved,_ like that – and he’s right; we wouldn’t have worked long-term, but – I forget where I was going with this.”

Felix took a deep breath. “Let’s get you home before you tell Rita Skeeter that you took the groom’s virginity.”

“I mean, that was seventeen years ago, though,” Charlie said, but he let Felix help him up. Felix – bless him – found Bill.

“He’s drunk,” Felix said. “I was going to get him out of here before a certain reporter decides to cause a scandal. Am I correct in assuming he’s been staying with you?”

Bill nodded. “We can take him, if you’d like.”

“No,” Charlie said. “You’ve got – a babysitter and everything, go have fun. I’m fine with Felix.”

“I’ve – a guest room, he can sleep there,” Felix said. “I’ll send him along in the morning.”

Bill looked them over and then glanced at Fleur, who shrugged. “Okay,” he said. “Just make sure he doesn’t get splinched. Had to take his Apparation test twice, this one.”

“Oh, fuck you, Bill,” Charlie said.

“I love you, too, Charlie. Hope you’re not too hungover in the morning.”

* * *

He’d expected Felix Rosier to have a compact flat in Diagon Alley – something small for when he was in Britain.

He should have known Felix Rosier had an entire goddamn manor all to himself. Complete with House Elves. Felix escorted him to a guest room, and summoned some pyjamas with a swish of his wand. “I’m just across the hall if you need anything,” Felix said. “Toilet is just through that door there.”

“Thanks for this,” Charlie said. “Bill’d have been pissed if I’d ruined his plans with Fleur tonight. They got a babysitter and everything, and I think they think it’s time for baby number three.”

“It’s fine,” Felix said. “I happen to know what it’s like when your ex gets married.”

Charlie furrowed his brows. “Who’d you ever date?”

“Chester Davies,” Felix said.

“I don’t think I know him,” Charlie said. “Sounds British, though, not – Peruvian.”

“He was – the Ravenclaw Prefect in my year.”

“Davies isn’t a Pureblood last name, is it?”

“It’s not as if anyone was around to notice,” Felix said. “I’m going to bed. As I’ve said – across the hall if you need anything.”

“Why don’t you spend the night in here?” Charlie asked. He tried to get out of his dress robes in as sexy a fashion possible, but his arms got caught in his sleeves, and Felix sighed.

“Because you’re drunk,” Felix said. “If you’d like to talk about it in the morning, I’ll be here.”

* * *

Why did hangovers seem to get worse with age? At least he remembered the night before, and he had his wand, so he could conjure a glass and fill it with water. And the curtains were closed, so the room was dark.

He spotted a vial on the bedside table with a note.

> _For your inevitable hangover_

It could be poison, Charlie knew (not that he really thought Felix would poison him), but he was willing to take that risk. He uncorked the vial and downed the contents in one gulp. It tasted vile, and the consistency was far too thick, so he drank some more water and tried to go back to sleep.

It felt like ten seconds later that he heard a loud _crack_ that woke him, followed by a thin voice saying, “Master Felix requests your presence in the kitchen.”

Charlie rubbed at his eyes. Well, he wasn’t dead, and he wasn’t hungover, at least not anymore. He was never sure how to react to House Elves, but this one was looking at him expectantly, so he got out of bed. “I, er, lead the way, then?”

He didn’t expect to be apparated into the kitchen, but that’s exactly what happened. He thanked Merlin his hangover was gone as he got his bearings. Felix sat at a long, wooden table that reminded Charlie of the one in the old Order headquarters in Grimmauld Place. He was wearing an emerald dressing gown and reading the Daily Prophet.

“Fortunately, there’s no reference to you deflowering one of the most prominent Magizoologists of our time,” Felix said as he stirred a cup of tea. “Breakfast? Tippy will prepare anything you like.”

He turned to the House Elf. “Bacon? And fried eggs if you don’t mind?”

Tippy bowed low and went to work. Charlie sat down across from Felix. “Felix, I am _really_ sorry about last night.”

“As I said last night: I understand. You’re hardly the only one to get drunk at an ex-boyfriend’s wedding.”

“Did he – marry a witch? Chester?”

Felix didn’t look up from his newspaper. “No. He married a wizard – and it was my own fault. He wanted to marry me, and at the time – I didn’t think it was right for me to marry another wizard, let alone one who wasn’t – pureblood. He said that if I didn’t see a future together, then there was no point in staying together, and I didn’t fight him. It certainly didn’t help that we were long distance most of the time.”

“Do you regret it? Because – I’m over Rolf, honestly. I haven’t felt – anything like that for him in nearly a decade. But I think some part of me will always wonder what could’ve been, if we’d tried to make it work. And – regardless, it doesn’t feel great to watch my last unmarried friend get married when I’m not even – in a relationship.”

“I don’t let myself regret it,” Felix said. “We send letters occasionally, and he’s happier than he would have been with me. One of us would have had to have decided between our relationship and our career sooner or later – we’d made it through the war, and that was _later.”_

Tippy the House Elf set a plate piled high with bacon and eggs in front of Charlie, so he thanked her. At least he thought Tippy was a her, and he wasn’t sure if he should ask.

“Did you mean what you said last night?” Felix asked.

“What part?” Charlie asked, tucking into his food. “I said a lot last night.”

“About having – fancied me in school.”

“Oh,” Charlie said. “Yeah. I meant it.”

“And asking me to sleep with you?”

Charlie blushed and focused his attention on the food. “Well, it’s not as if I don’t know you’re good at it. And it’s – been a while.”

Felix sipped at his tea and turned the page of the Prophet. “Would you like to?”

“Now?”

“Not _right_ now,” Felix said. “But – today.”

“Then – yeah, after breakfast. And I’ll need some time to – get ready. I don’t want to just – go for it.”

Felix sipped some more at his tea, and then refilled the cup from a nearby teapot. “And – what about – dinner?”

Charlie glanced over to Felix, who was staring pointedly at the newspaper, but his eyes weren’t moving. He wasn’t actually reading. “Are you asking me out on a date?”

“In the past six years, or so, since Chester and I – I’ve had to – reevaluate positions I once held. I’m the last Rosier, but I find _very_ little would be worth enduring having sex with a witch, let alone marrying one. For my career, if there were no other alternative, I’d consider it, but – we live in a different era, and I can’t bring myself to be terribly concerned for the family line, especially after all the trouble that sort of thinking has earned my family. I’m certain the conclusion I’ve reached will disappoint my cousin terribly, but her opinion of my life hardly matters. My mother and brother are dead, and my father is serving life in Azkaban. There would be no opportunity for – retribution.”

“So is that… a yes?” Charlie asked.

“Yes,” Felix said. “And I assure you – while I don’t necessarily _expect_ any particular outcome – if it does get to that point, I’ve realised that I would gladly marry another wizard, provided everything else matched up. And – who better to date than a fellow Dragonologist who I _know_ I’m attracted to?”

“Your cousin’s Narcissa Malfoy, yeah?” Charlie asked.

“Yes.”

“You know she’ll be _pissed_ about you dating a Weasley.”

“As I’ve said,” Felix said, “her opinion of my life hardly matters.”

“As long as you stick to that,” Charlie said. “I’ve got no real problem with Slytherins, and we know you’ve never been a Death Eater, but I’m not going to stand for someone who’d be ashamed of me.”

“You’re an accomplished Dragonologist and conservationist. Why in Merlin’s name would I be ashamed of you?”

“Because I’m a Weasley. I grew up poor, and my family’s always been – blood traitors.”

“You know as well as I do that magical blood has nothing to do with ability,” Felix said. “And as long as you don’t hold my family against me, I wouldn’t hold yours against you.”

“I wouldn’t,” Charlie said.

“So, again,” Felix said, “you’re an accomplished Dragonologist and conservationist, we’re _both_ gay, we’re attracted to each other, we’ve compatible personalities, and we’ve similar ambitions. Why wouldn’t I want to date you?”

“Well,” Charlie said, “when you put it like that…”

**Author's Note:**

> none of the weasleys are straight, thanks.  
> also the hufflepuff prefect in hogwarts mystery is terrifying. i will take felix any day.
> 
> * * *
> 
> [tumblr](http://xslytherclawx.tumblr.com/)


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